Monday, October 28, 2013

So last Saturday I taught my Wonky Stars class to a lovely group of ladies at The Patchwork Angel

My Sample is made with Moda Basic Greys Blue and lots of prints, mostly Christmas but some that are not, most of the pinks. I love my quilt, just need to wait for the earliest time I can start putting xmas decorations around the house....

In class we worked on learning the technique of Improv piecing the star points in the blocks and sashings. As you will see the trick is getting variety in the prints and size of the star points. I provided instructions for 3 sizes, some girls may have changed their plans, bigger may mean more fun. The girls did a great job and had a lot of fun. In fact most of them stayed stitching after class, they were having a great time. I had to go though at the end of class and was sad I could not stay and stitch also.

This is mine

This is Tracys block. She is making a table runner with her blocks

These stunning batiks belong to Liz. This quilt is going to sparkle. I would love to see this one when finished.

Yola has used a variety of Christmas prints also with a glittering gold on White background fabric.

I love Lynleys fabric choice also. Lynley used bright multi coloured spot for the background and pinks, purples and blacks for the prints, very striking

Sally has a grandson in need of a quilt and this will be just perfect. The blue background is very bright and clean ( better than in my photo) and the prints are crisp and clean primary colours. The blocks are gorgeous.

Sandra used the same print for all the pieces in each block, with each large star being a different print. There are Christmas cupcakes in the front star, so cute. Sandra is then making all the sashing stars from the same fabric, a Christmas red tone on tone.

Now girls, I would love to see these quilts when you are finished, maybe in time for Christmas ( any year though).

Monday, October 14, 2013

So for many posts I have been just showing Hexagons pieced into diamonds. So I thought I would explain and show what I am doing with them.

Each time we (the family) go in the car for any sort of road trip, my tin of cut Hexagons, papers and threads come along too. I baste them ready to stitch together. I don't do the glue method, I find it hard to be tidy with the glue in a moving vehicle. I can also get a little car sick if I don't keep my eyes on the road enough.....so I baste with needle and thread, works for me....

After I have basted a whole heap (technical term for Many), I then play around with combinations for the pieced diamonds. I bag them into little snaplock bags ready to go. So on the nights I want to stitch but not have to think too hard I start putting them together.

Now the inspiration for this quilt is from the book "Quilts of Virginia, 1607-1899, by the Virginia Consortium of Quilters. I love this book, and have many pages tagged of "want to make someday" quilts.

The particular quilt I am making was made by Maria Hester Monroe Gouverneur, around 1830. Unfortunatley is was never finished, I hope to finish mine, eventually. The orginal is made using 3/4" hexagons, mine is with 1" hexies. The orginal is still basted with newspapers of the day, amazing. Maria Hester was the daughter of President James Monroe and Maria was the first daughter of a President to be married in the White House. Maybe this heritage helped in the preserving this quilt for us too see today..

So I continue to piece the hexies into diamonds

Join the diamonds into a larger hexagon, joining with random neutrals

then join those hexies together to make a row, again with random neutrals

then I have to do several rows and then I will make some half units to fill in the spaces.

so that's what I am working on in between other stuff. I love this quilt and really hope to finish it, as I do want to make it a big quilt, I don't do small quilts very often

I hope you like the pics. I am teaching tomorrow so I should get some rest soon, maybe after a bit of stitching..